The descent into depravity that started with Enosh, the grandson of Adam, really kicked into high gear during the time of his grandson Jared. And who was to blame? Fallen angels, of course!
The story goes that these angels, gazing down from their heavenly abode, became captivated by the beauty of human women. "We will choose wives for ourselves only from among the daughters of men," they declared, "and beget children with them!" (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews). Sounds straightforward enough. But there was one angel, Shemhazai, who had reservations. He feared that the others wouldn't follow through, and he would be left holding the bag, bearing the consequences of their collective sin. "I fear me, ye will not put this plan of yours into execution, and I alone shall have to suffer the consequences of a great sin," he said (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews). Talk about anxiety!
So, what did they do? They took an oath. A big one. According to Legends of the Jews, two hundred angels descended to the summit of Mount Hermon – a name that itself comes from the Hebrew word herem, meaning "anathema" or a binding oath – and swore to carry out their plan, or face dire consequences. Under the leadership of twenty captains, they did just that, defiling themselves with the daughters of men. And this is where things get really interesting.
These fallen angels weren't just hanging out. They were teaching these women forbidden knowledge! Charms, conjuring formulas, the secrets of roots and plants. Imagine the havoc they wreaked!
And what was the result of these unions? Giants. Massive, three-thousand-ell-tall giants who consumed everything in sight. When the humans' possessions were gone, the giants turned on the people themselves, devouring them. As Legends of the Jews tells us, humanity then began to trespass against the birds, beasts, reptiles, and fishes, eating their flesh and drinking their blood. The earth itself cried out against these impious evildoers!
But the corruption didn't stop there. Azazel, another fallen angel, taught men how to make weapons – slaughtering knives, arms, shields, coats of mail. He revealed the secrets of metals and how to work them, and showed them how to adorn themselves with armlets, trinkets, rouge, and jewels. (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews). Basically, he introduced them to the art of war and vanity. Shemhazai, our anxious leader, instructed them in exorcisms, Armaros taught them how to raise spells, Barakel, divination from the stars; Kawkabel, astrology; Ezekeel, augury from the clouds; Arakiel, the signs of the earth; Samsaweel, the signs of the sun; and Seriel, the signs of the moon. The Zohar has much more to say about the roles of these fallen ones, as well.
While all this chaos unfolded, there was one righteous man: Enoch. He lived in a secret place, hidden among the angel watchers and holy ones. And it was to Enoch that a divine call came.
"Enoch, thou scribe of justice," the voice said, "go unto the watchers of the heavens… Go and proclaim unto them that they shall find neither peace nor pardon!" (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews). Talk about a tough assignment!
Enoch delivered the message to Azazel and the other fallen angels, and they were terrified. They trembled and begged Enoch to intercede for them, to present a petition to God. They couldn't even look towards heaven anymore, so great was their shame.
Enoch agreed, and in a vision, he was carried up to God's throne. God's response? Not exactly forgiving. "Verily, it is you who ought to plead in behalf of men, not men in behalf of you!" God declared (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews). God then laid out the consequences: these giants, born of flesh and spirit, would become evil spirits on earth, forever causing destruction and affliction. "You have no peace!" God proclaimed.
So, what does this all mean? It’s a wild story, no doubt. A cautionary tale about the dangers of forbidden knowledge, the corruption of power, and the consequences of straying from the divine path. It's a reminder that even those closest to the divine can fall, and that our actions have far-reaching consequences. And perhaps, it's also a glimpse into the ancient anxieties about the blurring of boundaries – between heaven and earth, spirit and flesh, human and divine. Where do you think the tension of this story lies?
THE FALL OF THE ANGELS - The depravity of mankind, which began to show itself in the time of Enosh, had increased monstrously in the time of his grandson Jared, by reason of the fallen angels. When the angels saw the beautiful, attractive daughters of men, they lusted after them, and spoke: "We will choose wives for ourselves only from among the daughters of men, and beget children with them." Their chief Shemhazai said, "I fear me, ye will not put this plan of yours into execution, and I alone shall have to suffer the consequences of a great sin." Then they answered him, and said: "We will all swear an oath, and we will bind ourselves, separately and together, not to abandon the plan, but to carry it through to the end." Two hundred angels descended to the summit of Mount Hermon, which owes its name to this very occurrence, because they bound themselves there to fulfil their purpose, on the penalty of Herem, anathema. Under the leadership of twenty captains they defiled themselves with the daughters of men, unto whom they taught charms, conjuring formulas, how to cut roots, and the efficacy of plants. The issue from these mixed marriages was a race of giants, three thousand ells tall, who consumed the possessions of men. When all had vanished, and they could obtain nothing more from them, the giants turned against men and devoured many of them, and the remnant of men began to trespass against the birds, beasts, reptiles, and fishes, eating their flesh and drinking their blood. Then the earth complained about the impious evil-doers. But the fallen angels continued to corrupt mankind. Azazel taught men how to make slaughtering knives, arms, shields, and coats of mail. He showed them metals and how to work them, and armlets and all sorts of trinkets, and the use of rouge for the eyes, and how to beautify the eyelids, and how to ornament themselves with the rarest and most precious jewels and all sorts of paints. The chief of the fallen angels, Shemhazai, instructed them in exorcisms and how to cut roots; Armaros taught them how to raise spells; Barakel, divination from the stars; Kawkabel, astrology; Ezekeel, augury from the clouds; Arakiel, the signs of the earth; Samsaweel, the signs of the sun; and Seriel, the signs of the moon. While all these abominations defiled the earth, the pious Enoch lived in a secret place. None among men knew his abode, or what had become of him, for he was sojourning with the angel watchers and holy ones. Once he heard the call addressed to him: "Enoch, thou scribe of justice, go unto the watchers of the heavens, who have left the high heavens, the eternal place of holiness, defiling themselves with women, doing as men do, taking wives unto themselves, and casting themselves into the arms of destruction upon earth. Go and proclaim unto them that they shall find neither peace nor pardon. For every time they take joy in their offspring, they shall see the violent death of their sons, and sigh over the ruin of their children. They will pray and supplicate evermore, but never shall they attain to mercy or peace." Enoch repaired to Azazel and the other fallen angels, to announce the doom uttered against them. They all were filled with fear. Trembling seized upon them, and they implored Enoch to set up a petition for them and read it to the Lord of heaven, for they could not speak with God as aforetime, nor even raise their eyes heavenward, for shame on account of their sins. Enoch granted their request, and in a vision he was vouchsafed the answer which he was to carry back to the angels. It appeared to Enoch that he was wafted into heaven upon clouds, and was set down before the throne of God. God spake: "Go forth and say to the watchers of heaven who have sent thee hither to intercede for them: Verily, it is you who ought to plead in behalf of men, not men in behalf of you I Why did ye forsake the high, holy, and eternal heavens, to pollute yourselves with the daughters of men, taking wives unto yourselves, doing like the races of the earth, and begetting giant sons? Giants begotten by flesh and spirits will be called evil spirits on earth, and on the earth will be their dwelling-place. Evil spirits proceed from their bodies, because they are created from above, and from the holy watchers is their beginning and primal origin; they will be evil spirits on earth, and evil spirits they will be named. And the spirits of heaven have their dwelling in heaven, but the spirits of the earth, which were born upon the earth, have their dwelling on the earth. And the spirits of the giants will devour, oppress, destroy, attack, do battle, and cause destruction on the earth, and work affliction. They will take no kind of food, nor will they thirst, and they will be invisible. And these spirits will rise up against the children of men and against the women, because they have proceeded from them. Since the days of murder and destruction and the death of the giants, when the spirits went forth from the soul of their flesh, in order to destroy without incurring judgment--thus will they destroy until the day when the great consummation of the great world be consummated. And now as to the watchers who have sent thee to intercede for them, who had been aforetime in heaven, say to them: You have been in heaven, and though the hidden things had not yet been revealed to you, you know worthless mysteries, and in the hardness of your hearts you have recounted these to the women, and through these mysteries women and men work much evil on earth. Say to them therefore: You have no peace!"
